2026 SESSION

INTRODUCED

26109280D

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 297

Offered March 9, 2026

Commending the McGuffey Art Center.

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Patrons—Callsen and Laufer; Senator: Deeds

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WHEREAS, the McGuffey Art Center in Charlottesville, one of the oldest artist-run cooperative art centers in the nation, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025; and

WHEREAS, the McGuffey Art Center opened on October 11, 1975, and quickly became a vibrant art space with an environment that was conducive to artistic growth and expression; and

WHEREAS, the McGuffey Art Center was established in the historic McGuffey School, which was named after William Holmes McGuffey, a University of Virginia professor who wrote several of the McGuffey Readers, the first reading primers widely used by students in the United States; and

WHEREAS, the McGuffey Art Center is supported by the McGuffey Association, which currently includes 50 resident artist members, 100 associate artist members, and six incubator artists; and

WHEREAS, the McGuffey Art Center provides affordable studio space to enable its artists to thrive without the pressure and constraints posed by commercial concerns and cultivates a creative community in which artists feel empowered to fully express their visions; and

WHEREAS, the McGuffey Art Center's artists support the broader Charlottesville community through a number of endeavors, including classes, workshops, exhibitions, and other outreach activities and events; and

WHEREAS, as a pillar of the Charlottesville arts scene for the past 50 years, the McGuffey Art Center has made a profound and lasting impact on countless lives; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the McGuffey Art Center on the occasion of its 50th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the McGuffey Art Center as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for its contributions to Charlottesville and the Commonwealth.